Felipe Alvares
Exercising at any age is the key element of good health and longevity, but recent research has zoomed in on a time period in your life when it may be the most important of all. Most of us view youth as the stage of life when exercise is worshipped, and late adulthood as that period when exercise becomes a necessity to deal with the accompanying age-related disorders. Many go through life not having exercised consciously while others have erratic workout schedules dependent on season and mood and adult peer pressure too! Recognizing the importance of exercising at 40 “ that’s halfway towards the average lifespan of the adult human today “ is now science-based and research-endorsed.
A massive survey of more than 315,000 participants conducted in 2018-19 showed that people who didn’t start exercising on a regular basis until they were in their 40s (or even 50s) still reap the benefits compared to people who have been working out most of their lives. The research team was surprised to learn that the older group who started exercising later in life lowered their mortality rate 32 to 35 percent compared to the control group (people who never exercised) even after taking into consideration body mass index, alcohol consumption and other life factors. Exercise apparently was found to prevent telomere (related to DNA strands linked to longevity) shrinkage and prolonged life in those ages 40 to 65. In fact, the more exercise this group did ” walking, cycling, weight lifting and the like ” the less their telomeres, and their life spans, shrunk.
Exercise is important at any age, and the younger you begin working out, the easier it is to remain physically active throughout your life. However, training as an adult can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases and injuries and helps maintain physical and cognitive function. And since many people begin to realize the effects of ageing when they hit middle age ” such as feeling stiffer, fatiguing quicker, gaining weight, losing muscle mass and weakening of bones ” being physically active at age 40 and older becomes an important component of performing many activities of daily living and maintaining quality of life. Shorter telomeres have also been associated with illness, cancer and other disease. And hence, finding a way to lengthen these telomeres is vital today. Shorter telomeres suggest cellular ageing and shorter life spans, while exercise, especially once you’re over 40, prevents those telomeres from shortening, thereby extending your life.
In a 2018 study, researchers found that older adults (ages 55 to 79) with years of regular exercise apparently age more slowly than healthy adults who don’t exercise regularly. The long-term exercisers didn’t lose muscle mass or strength over time, the study found, nor did their body fat or cholesterol increase with age. Men’s testosterone levels also stayed high, suggesting they may have avoided most of ‘andropause’ (the male equivalent of menopause). And the immune systems of regular exercisers didn’t seem to age, either.
The verdict is clear. If you are on the better side of 40 “ male or female “ it is time to put on your workout gear and get moving. Midlife is not too late to start physical activity. Inactive adults should be encouraged to be more active, whereas young adults who are already active need to be reminded to maintain their activity level as they get older. The body starts to decline after about 30 years, and that decline gets more aggressive every year. Exercise not only helps you feel (and look) better, it can also slow that decline, helping you stave off some common health conditions such as weak bones, heart problems, arthritis, and depression.
A “Fit at 40” programme combines exercise routines suited to individual fitness levels and group exercise schedules that help keep the workout enthusiasm high as you are goaded on by your trainer and your workout buddy. The key elements of a workout “ balance, strength, flexibility, agility “ are emphasized while also promoting fat loss and muscle tone. And recognizing the importance of healthy eating as you work out towards a better you, customized dietary plans, detailed by our in-house nutritionist complement your efforts towards lengthening your telomeres and ageing gracefully and healthfully.
